mickeyd wrote:Zilla...thanks for the info. Your projects and articles are the best kiteboarding info on the net. I noticed you used the stainless screws. Why not glue? I'll have to look for one of those heavy duty pvc cutters. The one I found at the Depot was junk...M

Sorry to take so long getting back to your request....I am back in the game now!

First, of all, good observation about the stainless screws, glue, and pvc cutters. I always use screws on the projects, at first, and then after about a year or so, when I have stopped making modifications, then, I may choose to glue the newest device together, for looks. The screws actually hold as well as glue, for my purposes, and allow you to change out any parts that may break, or make any modifications. I was amazed, that after 18 months of using the device, that nothing broke. As you can see from the following pictures, in order that my home-made leader line connections can pass through the holes, I had to ream out a lot of the plastic in the "T" s. I thought that the remaining thin 1/2" cpvc plastic would snap, but so far, even with rough use (throwing, dropping, etc), the plastic has held, due to the toughness of cpvc material. You may not be so lucky, so I would recommend using stainless screws (1/2").

I will post a bunch of pictures in the next 3 or 4 posts, showing aspects of the project, and saving me a lot of words. The major advice I can give is to not hurt yourself using the hack saw, drills, rotary rasp, etc....use a vice if you have it...otherwise, use a piece of plywood clamped to a table, and then use a vice grip to slip inside the cpvc and pvc fittings to clamp the fitting to the plywood, to stabilize the fitting while sawing and drilling. IF you try hand holding the fittings....at least, wear a glove. If you are so fortunate, as to have a Dremel tool, then, you can probably find a much better way to do the procedures, than I did. I only used the basic tools for all of my projects....drill, hack saw, hand file, sand paper (the coarsest grit you can find), etc.

Pic 1 shows the newer model, glued..with only a few screws, which are needed for disassembly and repair, even with the glued model.

Pic 2 shows the line slip prevention bar, pulled off the main unit..note the length, and positioning of the 1/2" cpvc stubs, on which the bar rotates. Note that the slotted unions are twisted into the open position, and the bungee retainer is slipped out of its big retention slot.

Pic. 3 shows the device with the lines in the slots, the slotted unions twisted into the closed position, the bungee retainer in its closed position in the big slot, and the lines lying in place.

Next, after you have ground out the inside ridges on the couplers, you can use the hack saw to make 2 cuts forming the 5mm wide slot in each coupler. Sand the edges, and slightly round off the 4 corners of the slot.

Then, use a small drill less than 1/4 inch, to make a pilot hold in the back of each of the 4 or 5 "T"s (1/2 inch CPVC)...and keep enlarging the hole until you can get the rotary rasp into the hole to enlarge it more... I made my holes gigantic, so that the big knots on my leader line could slip through. You may not have to make very big holes for standard kite line to pass, The smaller the hole...the stronger the device.

Then, cut the same size slots in the top of each of the drilled "T"s (5mm wide).

If you have gotten this far, then you won't need any more directions, on how to assemble the other "T"s, elbows, 4 inch pieces, cross pieces and stubs, to make your device look like the picture.

The device will end up a little over 2 feet long, which is a nice size to wind up the lines on. Piece it all together, and make any alterations or improvements to this project, before you glue it or screw it together.

Here are some more pictures:

In the next post, I will describe the construction of the slotted line retention bar which snaps onto the main piece, that you have just made.

Next comes the construction of the "line slip prevention bar" or "slotted line retention bar"...which serves to (1) prevent the larksheads and knots, at the end of the lines, from accidentally slipping back through the big holes., and (2) supports the figure 8 line windings on the side of the line tender device facing the kite. In setting up the device to work properly, about 15 feet of each of the 5 kite lines are wound on this part of the device, and secured with the velcro hair tie straps. The rest of the kite lines are wound, figure 8 style, on the opposite side of the device, as shown in one of the previous pictures, and then, when the bar is encountered, it is strapped onto the device, with the large black velcro strap, making sure to pass the strap, first, through the chicken loop, in order to prevent the chicken loop from accidentally passing through any of the loose lines, and causing tangled or crossed lines, which might occur when the lines are unwound, in preparation for the kite launch.

Here is a parts list for construction of the bar, (I may have included some of the stuff in the previous parts list...that's OK, because you might need some extra pieces, if you goof up...I always do!):

I used a 3/4 inch CPVC "T" (see picture 9 above) instead of a neater looking 3/4 inch coupling, so that water could drain out of the device easier.

Final Assembly:

(1) Lay the pre-assembled, unscrewed or unglued, main body and bar, on a table or flat board, to check to be sure that all the parts line up OK and are all lying in the same plane, then screw or glue (one at a time, in a well ventilated area) the connectors and pipe pieces together.

(2) Strap on the velcro webbing.

(3) To complete the bar part, take a 2 foot length of thin bungee cord, and, from the outside of the pipe, stick the 2 ends of the cord into the holes as shown in the pictures, and then, pull the ends out from inside the pipe, using a dowel, hemostat, etc., and then tye a test knot to fasten the 2 ends of the bungee together, and then, pull the bungee, from the outside of the pipe to lock into the big notch cut into big "T"....Adjust the length of the bungee by retying the knot, and retesting, until you have got it right... so that the bungee holds down the strings in their respective slots. The knot then, stays inside the pipe, and out of the way. some fussing is required to get it right.

Here are some more pictures:

AND, here is my LAST SUGGESTION:

Try to improve on the device! I would like to see these 3 improvements....

(1) Make it stronger
(2) Make it float
(3) Do something to it so that, like one of those sticks, snake handlers use, the kiter could use the device to quickly and easily snag and hold a single line, with the device, under the not-so-rare scenario, where the kite accidentally, and unexpectedly, "goes nuts", while the kiter is in transit from the kite to the bar (on self-launching the kite), and while the kiter is in transit from the bar to the kite (on self-landing the kite). This improvement would allow the kiter to safely flag the kite, during the times when "plan A" goes "pear-shaped", and, would protect the kiter from the risk of loosing a finger, in an attempt to settle down the kite, by the capture and control of one of the kite lines.

Wetstuff,

Sorry to have "hijacked" your thread. I am hoping that you will redesign this device, with all the improvements, put it on the market, and make a killing!...If anyone can do this....you can....You could package it into a kit, along with your anchor and floating work station.

I may start another thread, showing pictures, and describing the different types of launching procedures, that can be done using this style device. As crude as it appears, this device does have certain advantages over the manufactured "launch-help-aids"...and, of course, certain disadvantages too,...but worthy of unbiased discussion...in the hopes of achieving the perfect solution, to many of the problems encountered in the activity of kiteboarding, such as (1) kite lines strung out on crowded beachs, (2) difficulties of self launching on land and in shallow water, (3) accidental incorrect connection of lines, and (4) misunderstandings between kiter and the launch assistant.